Clockwork
by MuseBerry
Summary: Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Izaya's life depends on a clock. (Shizaya)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I, MuseBerry, do not own DRRR! nor will I ever! *sobs*

* * *

**Chapter One**

Izaya was exhausted as he trudged through the puddles on the street. He had spent the entire day visiting every nook and cranny he could find in Ikebukuro for information that Shiki could use. There was only so much information one could give before being left with old news.

Surprisingly, the stupid protozoan hadn't chased him down with his signature vending machine. Izaya normally would've found that weird, but he had noticed Shizuo working with Tom more so than usual; extra hours, longer shakedowns, and more intimidation tactics.

Izaya scoffed. As if Shizu-chan needed any intimidation tactics. All he needed to do was flaunt a bit of his strength and remind his victim how easy it would be to take their arm and make a little snap. No. Shizu-chan didn't even _need_ to do that either. Just one look at the blond and his silly glare should be enough to make some people cough their money up. Izaya honestly wouldn't be surprised if that happened often either. Everyone knew about the Monster of Ikebukuro, and those who didn't learn soon enough; usually as an innocent bystander stuck in the middle of one of their famous cat and mouse games.

Stepping in a particularly deep puddle, Izaya grimaced as water flooded into his shoes and drenched his soaks. Disgusting, he thought to himself as he looked down at the lights reflecting from the water. Ikebukuro was as bright as usual, and he wasn't sure if that irked him. His humans were moving through their daily lives without his lovely appearances, and Izaya did not like that one bit.

He quickly pulled his hoodie over his hair further as the rain poured down harder. When he first left Shiki's place, it had been a steadily growing drizzle. Now, it was completely raining cats and dogs. A group of girls to his left exited a café and shrieked in unison as they were pelted with the droplets. They immediately scrambled back inside, hands digging into their purses to no doubt retrieve their cellphones and phone someone to pick them up.

He stifled a smile at their reaction. Izaya loved seeing the shocked expressions on his beloved humans' faces. It never failed to boost his mood up. Nothing interesting happened on his journey, and not one head of dyed blond hair or flying inanimate object showed up during his walk.

Izaya opened the door to his apartment building and slipped in, giving a slight nod to the security guard who watched him with weary eyes. Ryuzaki-san always gave him that apprehensive look, as if Izaya was about to ruin his life with the snap of his fingers. And although Izaya _could_ do that, he was pleased with Ryuzaki-san's efforts to keep the stupid protozoan from sniffing too closely to the apartment building.

He packed himself into the elevator with several people. All of who looked uncomfortable and disgruntled in his presence. A mother even cradled her child closer to her as she watched him with fear in his eyes. Izaya couldn't help but feel a tinge of uneasiness at her reaction. It was perfectly okay for someone to be afraid of him, but for someone to be afraid of him for their _child_. Well, he felt like the lowest of the low. His humans should know that he hasn't, nor would ever, harm a child.

Izaya liked to mess with people, sure. But he would never stoop so low as to hurt someone who couldn't recover or protect himself or herself. Children were off limits for him. In fact, a good portion of the lives he has ruined usually involved the abuse or illegal usage of children. It was one of the few redeeming qualities he had, if anyone were to say he had any. He stopped caring about them a while ago.

The woman and her child, a little girl who stared at him curiously, got off the lift at the third floor. Before the doors closed, the little girl waved goodbye to the rest of the passengers. Izaya waved back to her cheerfully. She was absolutely precious. At last, he reached his floor, the fifth floor, and strolled over lazily. From behind him, he could hear a collective sigh from the elevator's occupants. Izaya merely grinned at that. At least he still had the respect, fear really, of his beloved humans.

He reached the fourth room from the end of the hall relatively quickly. Izaya pulled his keys out of his pocket and whistled a small tune. It was the theme song from some childhood show he could barely remember. It had something to do with a colorfully dressed people who were unable to speak correctly and had a baby for a sun. Izaya paused. His mother let him watch a lot of strange shows when he was growing up. That was probably one of the causes for his twisted personality now. He laughed dryly.

The darkness of his apartment greeted him, and he flipped the lights on with a sigh. It was nice to finally be home after a long day of work and stiff mafia men. Izaya stepped in and locked the door behind, double-checking to make sure that, yes, the lock was correctly secured.

He threw himself unceremoniously onto his leather couch face down, trying his best to ignore the sounds of his refrigerator buzzing annoyingly and his ceiling fan swishing rhythmically. After several moments of basking in the comfort of his couch, he bounced up and darted into his room to change out of his wet clothes and into some warm pajamas.

It took Izaya less than five minutes to strip out of his clothes and jump into thick pajama pants and a long-sleeved white shirt. He dumped his dirty clothes into the hamper and snatched his laptop from where he stashed it in his closet. One can never be too careful in the information business. One little click on the keyboard, and months of research disappeared.

He settled back onto his couch with his laptop on his knees and a delicious box of fatty tuna balanced precariously on the arm of his favorite piece of furniture. Using his fork, he stabbed his meal without glancing at it and placed it in his mouth. His eyes were glued to his screen.

Hmm…. A new gang made their public début by injuring several people about an hour ago. He checked the time on his laptop. It was currently 6 p.m., and the attack was written to have occurred around 5 p.m., if not a little earlier. Izaya hacked into the police records, and read the report of the attack. Severely injured, a few with multiple stab wounds, and one violated young women. He scowled. Rape was another thing he didn't tolerate. If he caught wind of some destructive information for the newly formed gang, he would definitely let it slip to the authorities or Shiki.

He grinned. Shiki wouldn't hesitate to bring down the amateurs if Izaya told him they could be a potential threat. Hell, Shiki would annihilate them if they even looked at him or his men the wrong way. Oh. Izaya was going to have so much fun with these new people. He wondered if he would get to take out his chessboard again….

Suddenly, the room was drowned in overwhelming darkness. His laptop barely illuminated the entire space of the living room. With a sigh, he rolled his eyes. Of course the power had to go out in the first storm of the month. He closed his laptop fluidly and headed to the kitchen to retrieve a flashlight. Izaya had wandered around his apartment in pitch-blackness more than enough times to know where he was gone.

He pulled the flashlight out of a small drawer, and switched it on. The little light beam cut a path into the shadows. The sound of rain pounding on the window was loud and overbearing, and the wind was absolutely howling at the glass, as if mourning being unable to creep inside his apartment.

"_Oh my. It looks like you're stuck in a predicament."_ A smooth voice mused.

Izaya whirled around to face his door. "Who's there?" He managed to force out as he tried to relax his stiff posture.

"_No one important, really." _ The voice, clearly male, sang. _"Well, no one important for me. It's a little different for you."_

Izaya's eyes focused on the door, taking notice at how it was still locked securely. "How did you get in here?" He demanded harshly in a steely tone.

"_I just popped in. When you're like me, you tend to get real lonely all by your lonesome. And then I thought; why not pay a visit to Izaya? He's always entertaining. Obsessed with his lovely humans, not having a single clue how much all of them want him dead. Oh, how much they hate you. It simply brings this delightful tingle down my spine."_

He gritted his teeth, but didn't say a word. Instead, Izaya focused on finding out where the voice was coming from. It wasn't by the door and it wasn't by the kitchen. That left the bathroom across the room, his bedroom, and the bathroom in his bedroom. He slowly made his way to the first bathroom, and flung the door open.

"_Aww. Were you expecting me to be there? Sorry to disappoint, Izaya~" _The voice chirped cheerfully. _"But you'll have to work harder if you want to find me."_

With a growl, he slammed the door closed and hurried to his room. The intruder had to be there for sure. Izaya had already been everywhere else. He burst into his room, and the unusual silence in it was unnerving. Not even the noise of the storm disrupted the quiet, which should have been impossible.

"_Still wrong."_ The voice laughed heartily.

He moved to his bathroom and took in a deep breath. "You have to be in here." He muttered. He reached for the doorknob cautiously, his hand already gripping his trusty switch blade in his pajama pant's pocket.

"_Wait! Don't come in here!"_

He threw the door open only to be met with an empty space. "What?"

"_I still wasn't in there, you idiot." _ The voice said in between giggles. _"My, Izaya, you've gotten really rusty. I mean, I could just pop up right behind you and slice your exposed little throat to ribbons~"_

An icy shiver crawled down his back and Izaya fled to the living room. The moment he entered, he flicked his switch blade out and held onto it tightly. "Who are you?" He asked again angrily "Who the _hell _are you?"

"_I believe I already answered that question for you."_

"Like heck you did!" Izaya spat. "Tell me the truth. Who are you?"

"_You don't want to know the truth, Izaya. It's better if you don't."_

"Don't what?" He sputtered. "Don't know who broke into my house and threatened to kill me?"

"_Since when did I threaten to kill you?"_ The voice whined. _"Besides, if I told you who I was….."_

A dark maniacal laughter boomed from all around him. Izaya clamped his hands over his ears, careful not to let his blade cut him. The sound of the voice's laughter sent chills through his body, and something heavy sunk to the pit of his stomach. It felt vaguely like dread.

"_Well, Izaya. Let's just say that you would be _wishing_ you hadn't asked."_

That was it. Izaya was not going to spend another second in this place with this maniac. He would sleep on the streets if he had to. Anything was better than dealing with this madness plaguing him. He darted for the door desperately, his arm reaching out to unlock the door hastily and escape.

But before he could make it two feet ahead, the floor disappeared from under him and crashed onto the wood painfully. His switch blade clattered to the floor away from him, far from his arm's reach. Hopelessness flooded him, and he scrambled to dive for his only weapon. However, a freezing hand gripped his leg and stopped him from moving.

"_Now, now, Izaya. Trying to hurt people isn't very nice~"_

Izaya kicked his leg back and broke the other's hold on him. He hurriedly crawled away, his eyes still set on his switch blade. Just as he grasped it, he was jerked backwards, his head cracking against his floor. His vision blurred for moment, but it was hard to tell in the darkness. The flashlight, thrown somewhere by the door, barely lit the room.

"_Hey. I'm still talking to you, Izaya. Don't try to run away."_

"Leave me alone." He choked out trying to reason with his attacker pitifully. "I'll pay you however much you want. I'll give you anything. Just please leave me alone."

"_That's a tempting deal. Would you really pay me with anything?"_

The person was silent, but Izaya could vaguely hear the other speaking to himself lowly in a language he couldn't recognize. "Yes. Anything!"

"_Alright then. Looks like you have yourself a deal."_

Izaya sighed in relief.

"_But I doubt you'll be very happy with it."_ The voice cackled. _"I want something from you, Izaya. Something beautifully hideous; something a monster like you can't live without."_

"What is it?"

"_Now that,_" the voice scolded, "_is part of your challenge. Find out what it is and acknowledge it. Accept it. If you succeed, you'll keep your life and live with this beautifully hideous thing of yours."_

"And if I don't?" He managed to ask as the throbbing of his head increased in agony. It felt like his entire head was being split open with a sledgehammer.

"_If you don't, I get to keep you for ever and ever."_

"That's impossible." Izaya shot back. "No one can live forever. And if I was stuck with you, I'd kill myself in a heartbeat."

"_My dear Izaya, who said you'd be able to die once you're mine?"_

"W-"

"_Shhhh!" _The voice interrupted. _"Stop trying to ruin the game. You get to ask one more question, Izaya. Choose wisely."_

There was one thing that his attacker didn't mention, and if Izaya was going to play along with the other's demented game, he was going to need to know what it was. "How much time do I have?"

"_Why, I thought you would never ask!"_ The voice exclaimed. _"You have one month before you're mine, Izaya."_

His headache was getting worse by the second, and Izaya found he could barely keep his eyes open. But it's not like they were much use in the first place, he couldn't see anything in the cloak of darkness. Before he could fully lose his last bits of consciousness, he asked one final question.

"What makes you so sure I won't win?"

"_Izaya," _the voice cooed, _"if there's one thing about me that I take pride in, it's the fact that I _always_ win. You should just give up now, save yourself the crushing feeling of failure later on."_

"No..." He mumbled before fading out into oblivion.

"_Izaya, you are just so precious. I can't wait until you're all mine…."_

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey guys, this is Berry. I've always wanted to write a Shizaya fic after I started watching DRRR! And before I knew it, I came up with this. It took me forever to crank out this chapter, so I would really appreciate it if you guys reviewed. :).**

**If enough people tell me they like this story, I'll continue. Try not to expect an update anytime soon though; I have a lot of projects and state exams this month. Meh. Sometimes, I hate school so much. :P.**

**Also, please forgive me for any mistakes in spelling and grammar. I did my best to edit everything and look for mistakes, but there are always a few that escape my eyes. :P.**

**Bye! *bows***


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Durarara!

* * *

**Chapter Two**

When Izaya woke up, the sunlight was streaming onto his face mercilessly. He groaned in displeasure before rolling onto his back, away from the stupid beams that broke him out of his sleep. Instantly, it all came crashing back into him. The strange intruder, the game he was trapped in, and his time limit.

With a curse, he shakily stood up and assessed the living room. Not a thing was displaced. His laptop wasn't on the couch, the fatty tuna he had been eating was gone, and the flashlight had disappeared. Hesitantly, he reached into his pocket and felt the familiar shape of his switch blade. It was as if everything that happened the night before was nothing more than a dream.

Izaya sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Maybe it had been a dream. He always had the oddest ones during storms. Deciding to let the incident drift into the back of his mind, he went about his normal morning rituals. It didn't take long for him to brush his teeth and shower. Changing into his signature outfit, consisting of his favorite furred jacket, dark jeans, and a black V-neck, he checked his business phones. No one had called him. He doubted anyone tried to contact his only personal one either.

Well, that was certainly wonderful. With no calls or pending jobs, Izaya had the time to go bother the stupid protozoan. For some reason, he was feeling utterly gleeful about pestering the easily angered blond. His idiotic Shizu-chan never failed to entertain him with his shouting and thrilling chases around Ikebukuro. Ah. He really missed the nuisance.

He left his apartment with a quick nervous glance—just to make sure nothing was really wrong—and then locked the door behind him. Although he would destroy whoever dared to break into his home, he would very much appreciate not having to go through the trouble of actually tracking down the culprit. Then again, he had to remember that there weren't a lot of people crazy enough to break into his apartment. Such were the perks of being one of the most feared men in Ikebukuro and Shinjuku.

Going down the elevator, Izaya couldn't help but feel this foreboding sensation well up within him. Every part of him was standing on edge, and he tapped his fingers against his legs, happy for once that there was no one in the lift with him. What a sight it would've been for his beloved humans to see the great Izaya Orihara jittery with nerves.

The jolly ding of the elevator stopping on the lobby broke him out of his human-induced daydreaming, and a broad smirk stretched across his lips. It was time for him to go out and play. And hopefully, the stupid protozoan would be playing along with him. If there was one thing Izaya had to admit about the inhumanly strong man, it was the fact that he admired the other's unpredictability. It was hard to foresee what Shizuo was going to do in a situation, especially because the ex-bartender was always changing. However, it was this very reason that Izaya loathed the blond. He wasn't anything like his beloved humans, and Izaya knew that he didn't hold any love for the monster because of that.

He exited the lobby wordlessly, giving Ryuzaki-san a sunny smile. The older man stiffened and stared back with wide eyes, his thin body faintly trembling. Izaya ignored that reaction. It was all right for the gray-haired man to react that way. Everyone else did so anyways.

The sunlight greeted him warmly like an old friend. The violent storm the night had mustered earlier was completely forgotten in favor of the puffy white clouds floating above, and the light chattering flowing into his ears from the mouths of his beautifully wonderful humans. It was interesting to see how they forgot the terrors of the day before the moment something new and refreshing appeared.

Izaya began his trek to Ikebukuro in a good mood, whistling an odd tune and, every so often, skipping across a cross walk with a mob of the day's business workers heading towards their mediocre offices and teenagers heading to their schools for hours of education. Some of them watched him in anticipation; waiting for the moment he'd point at them and screw them over he had to many others. What lovely faces they were making~ He really did love them all dearly.

As he was getting ready to cross a street after twenty minutes of wandering around outside, the agonizing sound of metal screeching and twisting reached his ears. Izaya turned his head to the site of where the noise came from, and a giant vending machine was hurtling towards him at breakneck speed. And if it did hit him, it would really _break his neck._

He dodged to the left and an extremely infuriated blond met his vision. Shizuo's signature cigarette was crushed beneath his polished shoes and a vicious scowl was plastered across his face. "IZAAAAYA-KUUUUN! I told you to stay out of Ikebukuro!"

Izaya shrugged his shoulders and threw his hands up carelessly. "I'm sorry, Shizu-chan. I didn't know you owned the city~"

His response only seemed to anger the abnormally strong man even more. "I don't own the city, you stupid flea!"

"Then you shouldn't be telling me to leave~" Izaya sang back.

The ex-bartender roared and yanked a nearby street sign out of the pavement effortlessly, as if the blond was a child plucking a flower out of the ground. Taking several steps forwards, Shizuo threw the makeshift spear at him. With a roll of his eyes, Izaya lunged to right and pulled his switch blade out. In the blink of an eye, he sprinted up to the monster and flicked his wrist, cutting through the other's once pristine black vest.

Izaya jumped backwards instantly, avoiding a fist that surely would've knocked him right out of the atmosphere. The bodyguard began cursing colorfully. "Ah, ah, Shizu-chan." Izaya pouted. "Don't be like that. I don't like it when you play rough like that. A monster like you could really hurt someone like me."

"Me hurt you? Please, I'd be doing the world a goddamn favor by killing you!"

Izaya clutched his heart in mock hurt. "B-but Shizu-chan! Don't you love chasing me around like the dirty mutt you are?"

"Of course not, you flea!" The man barked. "You mess with me all the freaking time!"

Izaya was right about to reply when he saw a shadow hiding within an alleyway from the corner of his eye. For some reason, something about that shadow felt achingly familiar. As if he had seen the figure before.

"_Oh, Izaya,"_ a voice echoed from the still shadow, _"you aren't going to get anywhere if you pretend last night never happened."_

Images of his struggles against the unknown man resurfaced in his mind, and he glared fiercely at the shadow. "You!" He shouted, turning on his heel and sprinting into the narrow passageway.

"_Temper, temper, Izaya. Sometimes I wonder if that blond guy has better control than you do~"_

The shadow began to run further into the alleyway, barely visible to Izaya in the dim lighting. "Get back here you-"

He was cut off by the dumpster that crashed onto the ground next to him. "Oi! Flea, get your scrawny ass back here!"

The shadow was already gone, and Izaya could feel his stress levels skyrocketing at the revelation of his supposed dream not being a dream. "Shizuo." He hissed with as much venom as he could soak into his words.

The ex-bartender looked taken aback by his reaction before his chocolate eyes narrowed darkly once more. "What?" He asked petulantly. "Mad that I scared off your client?"

Izaya glowered at him. "He was not my client!"

Shizuo huffed. "So what was he? A secret lover, maybe, or someone you blackmailed?"

He stomped past the blond, momentarily stunning him with the sudden attitude. "He's the man I'm going to utterly demolish."

Before the protozoan could say anything, Izaya stormed away furiously. From behind him, he heard Shizuo grunt in annoyance and mutter about how much of a dumb flea he was and complain about that foul stench polluting the city. He was lucky that the inhumanly strong man decided to leave him alone and go back to his job with Tom instead of hounding him all over Ikebukuro with a barbaric single-mindedness.

As he walked, he couldn't help but notice how much his hands trembled. From what, he didn't know. His emotions were bordering between terrified, horrified, and strangely, exhilarated. It was the first time in a very long time that his life, something he held incredibly dearly, was being put in jeopardy with his wits and knowledge as his only tools to win unscathed. It was the first situation since he was a child that he couldn't manipulate and control.

Izaya sighed. Maybe Shinra was right. He was insane. Who in the world thought that life-threatening situations were amusing, especially when concerning one's life? He probably should have taken the underground doctor's offer to take psyche evaluation back in high school. But of course, he wasn't going to ask now. His pride wouldn't let him, and he did not want to see that smug look on the bespectacled man's face when he told him he was officially crazy. Tch. That weirdo would like that for sure, next to his beloved Celtic fairy in a bikini.

A loud engine roar that sounded vaguely like a whinnying horse attacked his ears, and he turned his head to the side to see Celty on her motorcycle slowing down next to him. The dullahan looked at him curiously before whipping out her phone. Her fingers flew across the keyboard anxiously, and Izaya wondered what she had to tell him.

[Are you okay, Izaya?]

Izaya furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Celty normally didn't care about him enough for her to ask him how he was doing. She was constantly upset with him for teasing the protozoan and didn't understand why a shady guy like him hung out with her oh so precious doctor. Oh, and his little habit of sometimes pushing people too far, specifically on high places, revolted her as well.

She shoved her phone in his face. [Stop daydreaming and answer me already!]

"I'm doing fine, Celty. Actually, I'm doing fantastic!"

The headless rider didn't move, and he felt a bit apprehensive at her reaction. She observed him a little longer with invisible eyes before typing some more. [I don't believe you. Tell me the truth or I'll cut you with my scythe.]

Izaya smoothed out the crinkle on the front of his shirt as he thought about what to say. He could lie to her again and chance the possibility of her cutting him with her scythe. Or, he could just tell her the truth and maybe receive some important information for the little game he found himself in.

"I'm not doing so great." He admitted. "There's something weird going on, and I'm not sure if I can figure out what."

Celty's shoulders jerked. [I knew it!] She speedily wrote. [Aliens are invading, aren't they?]

A thin smile spread on his face and he shook his head. "It's not aliens, Celty."

[Oh.] The dullahan typed. [I thought that because….]

"Because what?" Izaya asked curiously.

[I thought that because you had this weird aura, you knew something about it. I'm glad it's not aliens though.]

"A weird aura?" He repeated. He looked at her seriously. "What kind of aura, Celty?"

[Why should I tell you? It's probably nothing anyways.]

"Just…." Izaya's shoulders slumped in exhaustion. "Just tell me please."

Celty's body didn't move at all in response to his plea and he knew that the transporter was weighing her options. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she typed her reply slowly. [There's this darkness around you, thick and suffocating. It feels familiar to me, but I just can't put my finger on it.]

Izaya felt disappointment hit him like a tidal wave. His frustration was beginning to build up rapidly. How was he supposed to win a game when he didn't know all of the rules? He had a month to figure out what beautifully hideous thing he needed to accept. But what was he missing? How was he supposed to figure out that part of the challenge?

The sound of metal smashing onto the ground caught his attention and Izaya looked back at Celty. The dullahan was quaking and he had to do a double take to make sure that her knees weren't going to give out. "Celty, are you-"

Her shadows snagged her cellphone from the pavement and the little wisps were all over the place as they struggled to type rapidly. As soon as she was done, the tendrils snapped towards Izaya's face. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the sudden closeness of the bright screen to his face. When he read the words, he heard his heart pounding in his ears and the entire world fade into silence.

[It feels like death.]

* * *

**A/N:**

**I finally have a little free time to post this chapter. Thank you, those who reviewed and followed. That was awesome! Celty, that is literally the creepiest thing you could ever tell anyone! O_O. Oh! And Shizuo makes an appearance~ *throws confetti* Now I just need a situation to weave some Shizaya moments together...**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! I would love it if you guys reviewed some more! Also, I apologize for mistakes in grammar and spelling, I'm really scatterbrained.**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own DRRR! and I never will...

* * *

**Chapter Three**

To say Celty was distressed was an understatement. No matter what Izaya did or said, the headless rider continued to shake as she leaned against her motorcycle. He wasn't sure what to think or what to feel. He was apparently surrounded by an aura of _death._

Celty immediately stopped trembling and carefully took her phone back from her shadows, which circled around her worriedly. She sat down on her motorcycle and calmly began typing on the keyboard; feeling a little unsettled at her now tame reaction, Izaya watched her. There was no way someone could relax that fast.

[You're coming to see Shinra with me.]

"No, thanks." He replied hastily. "I only needed some information. I'll do the rest on my own. Besides, don't you-"

[Get on my motorcycle right now, Izaya! You have no idea what's wrong with you! What If you're going to have a heart attack or something later?]

He rolled his eyes. "Celty, what are the chances of me having a heart attack?"

[It doesn't matter what the chances are, Izaya.] The dullahan wrote. [And isn't it better to be safe than sorry?]

Izaya sighed and glanced at the time on Celty's phone. It was noon, but it felt like an eternity had passed for him. "Fine. I'll let you take me to him, but don't you dare let him dissect me like another one of his experiments."

[No promises.]

Izaya could perfectly imagine the smug look that would've been on her face if she had her head. He climbed onto the motorcycle behind her and took the black helmet Celty's shadows offered him. He slid it on, pleased by how the dark eye shield blocked out the sun's rays. At least he didn't have to worry about the bright rays blinding him as they rode.

He held onto her waist loosely and relaxed as the dullahan began zooming through the streets. Despite constantly irritating the headless rider, Izaya always admired how graceful she looked weaving through cars and other obstacles as she performed her duties as a transporter. It was like watching living art, fluid and alive.

But to his distaste, it didn't take long for them to reach Shinra's apartment. "Thanks." He muttered as slid off the sleek metal. Celty's hand waved around dismissively and the helmet over his head dispersed. Together, they walked into the complex and up the stairs. Elevators made the Celtic fairy nervous, and Izaya was not going to argue with a nervous transporter. It would result in the slashing of a certain legend's scythe.

Celty quickly unlocked the door and feet pounded on wood towards them. "Oh my darling Celty!" Shinra's cheerful voice cooed as his face appeared in the doorway. He paused when he took in Izaya's appearance. "…And Izaya."

"So enthusiastic." Izaya mumbled under his breath before replying jovially. "It's good to see you too, Shinra~"'

"Are you going to let me take a sample of your tissue?" Shinra asked excitedly. "There is no way a normal person can take a hit from a vending machine to the head point blank. Obviously, you aren't Shizuo strong. But maybe you're more durable than the average person!"

"No. I'm here because-"

[I think Izaya's going to die soon.]

Shinra observed Celty's text grimly for moment before looking at Izaya in something akin to pity. "Are you sure, Celty?"

[I'm one hundred percent sure! He's covered by death!]

Shinra rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. I'll have to conduct some examinations. But first, would you cook some of your wonderful dinner Celty? I'm so hungry, and I'd love to have a taste of your-"

Celty jabbed the brown haired man in the gut harshly. She typed into her phone furiously. [Shinra! Izaya might die and all you can think about is food?]

The underground doctor prodded his side with a pout. "Not really. But we're not helping him by panicking and losing ourselves in theories. We can eat after the examinations. Are you alright with this, Izaya?"

That was something Shinra habitually did for him. The bespectacled male constantly asked him questions concerning his health and moods, as if he actually cared. And maybe he did, Izaya supposed. The brunet probably felt this sense of duty to care for him because Izaya honestly didn't have anyone to turn to, no one to call friend. Not even his family would help him out if he needed it. His sisters try to kill him whenever they're around too. Izaya was isolated and hated. Naturally, Shinra would try to help somehow in his overbearingly creepy way.

"I'm fine with it."

"Good. Have you eaten anything in the last twelve hours?" Shinra asked, his eyes gleaming at the prospect of examining Izaya.

"Nope." He answered plainly, already disliking the idea of being examined by the young doctor.

"Okay then. Let's move into the examination room. I'm just going to take some blood samples, check your vitals, and observe your body." The doctor said as he led Izaya to his business room. Izaya didn't get why the brunet still did that. Izaya had been in there enough times to know where to go blindfolded and nearly unconscious.

"You're the doctor, Shinra~"

The examination was literally one of the most awkward experiences Izaya had to sit through. The blood drawing wasn't too bad and neither was the observation of his vital signs. It was the actual physical check that felt a little odd. Izaya wasn't embarrassed of his body at all, but the thought of having someone stare at him while he was exposed was way too uncomfortable.

"Well," Shinra said as he pushed up his glasses, "there isn't anything wrong with you to warrant a possible death. No abnormal heartbeat, unusual breathing, or any physical concerns. We'll have to wait a few days for the blood samples to show anything, but I doubt we'll find anything unusual. You had your last check up a little while ago when Shizuo brained you in the head with a warning sign."

"That's great, Shinra." Izaya said sincerely, but he was sure it came out mocking. It was great that there wasn't anything wrong with him. Celty had scared him immensely with her proclamation of his coming end. Maybe she was wrong after all.

[But Shinra! He's covered with death!] The dullahan typed on her cellphone. [There is no way my senses aren't right.]

"My dear Celty, have you ever felt or seen an aura of death on people other than Izaya?" The gray-eyed male questioned the headless rider.

Celty's shoulders stiffened as she wrote her reply cautiously. [I haven't felt it on someone else, but I remember the feeling, Shinra. I remember it from the time I had my head. It was what I would feel on the men I hunted.]

"So, you're saying that Izaya is marked for death?" Shinra exclaimed with wide eyes.

The Celtic fairy's arms waved in a negative gesture. [I'm not saying that Izaya is destined to die. There is something holding back the aura from showing that. He has a small chance to escape, but I don't know what or how.]

"Well," Izaya said quickly before either of them could say anything, "thanks for the checkup, Shinra. I'm going to head home now. It's like 3 p.m. and I probably have business stacking up to be looked into. You know how my clients get rather _upset_ when their best informant is unavailable."

He moved to the front door, but a cough from Shinra stopped him. He turned his head to look back at the transporter and the doctor. "What?"

"Listen, Izaya." Shinra murmured as he shifted his weight. "I know Celty and I don't show it, but we consider you a friend of ours. Let us know if there's anything wrong, anything we can do to help. Okay?"

Izaya nodded soundlessly before exiting the apartment. He had so much to think about, but so little time to do so. He still didn't know what he was looking for, but at least he knew that his attacker was serious when he said that he would lose his life if he lost the game.

"_My dear Izaya, who said you'd be able to die once you're mine?"_

He shivered as he remembered that piece of his conversation with the intruder. That line didn't make any sense at all. How could a human, because that was what he was under all of his tricks and superiority acts, not die?

Izaya needed to find some information and fast. The unknown man wanted him to acknowledge something beautifully hideous. His humans were beautifully hideous, but there was no way that the mysterious shadow would make that the answer to his challenge. It was much too simple. The attacker had also said that it was something he couldn't live without. But what was it that Izaya couldn't live without?

Izaya sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This game had more questions than answers for him, it seemed. As he left Shinra's apartment complex, he noticed the there was still hundreds of people out and about. But there was enough missing to be notable, Izaya hummed. How peculiar. Are his beloved humans picking up new habits?

His stomach growled and Izaya realized just how hungry he was. The last meal he had was some of his delicious fatty tuna from last night, but he never did get to finish it, and probably would never. It had disappeared. It wouldn't hurt, though, to go to Russia Sushi and ask Simon for some more fresh fatty tuna. He needed to indulge himself if he was going to figure out the game. One couldn't think about difficult things on an empty stomach.

With his mind made up, Izaya went against the stream of people and crossed the street. It would take him less than ten minutes to reach the restaurant in the best-case scenario. In the worst-case scenario, Shizuo would show up and distract him for either an hour or more. Depending on the amount of time he was distracted for, it would take around an hour to get to Russia Sushi. Right now, he was leaning towards the best-case scenario.

"IZAAAYYYAAAA-KUUUUUUN!"

Izaya exhaled deeply as the blond came storming up the street, shoving innocent bystanders to the side in his blind rage. He shouldn't have been relieved so soon. Before he could evade the enraged Shizu-chan, the blond seized Izaya by the front of his jacket and lifted him straight of the ground. His face was contorted with sheer hatred.

"Why, hello to you too, Shizu-chan." Izaya greeted. "You're a little late for getting onto me about encroaching on Ikebukuro. I was wondering, do you pee everywhere to mark your territory like a dog? Or are you too primitive to think of something as simple as that?"

"Izaya." The ex-bartender growled lowly.

"Yes, that would be me. And you are Shizu-chan. Did your tiny little protozoan brain forget that?"

Without warning, Shizuo threw him into a nearby alley forcefully. His back smashed into a brick wall and he fell to the floor with a heavy thud. "Ouch." He whined. "Shizu-chan, that could've killed me~"

"That was the point, you damn louse!" The Monster of Ikebukuro roared. "I've had enough of your fucking shit! This time, you have crossed the line!"

"I have done that a million times before, Shizu-chan. But what do you mean by 'this time'?" Izaya asked from his position on the floor. He winced at the dull ache spreading through his back. He needed to rest for a little while before he could attempt sitting up on his own. His ribs hurt a bit, probably bruised but not broken for sure.

"Don't play dumb with me, Izaya." Shizuo said slowly, each word dripping with contempt. "I want to know why you sent me that stupid letter!"

"What letter?"

Something in his voice must've tipped the barbarian off about his genuine confusion on whatever had happened, because the ex-bartender grunted before taking out a cigarette and lighting it. "Someone threatened me this morning."

"Someone threatened you? Don't make me laugh, Shizu-chan! Who would try to threaten a monster like you?"

Izaya's response only seemed to infuriate the bodyguard. "Shut up, you flea. Or I won't tell you shit."

"Okay, Shizu-chan. Have it your way."

The inhumanly strong man nodded. "It said something about staying out of your way or else I'll be taken care of."

A thought struck Izaya. "Could it be..."

"Could what be, you louse?"

"_Well done, Izaya. You figured out a piece of the puzzle. You definitely deserve a prize~"_

"Where are you?" Izaya shouted angrily. Ignoring the painful protests from his body, he stood up. His eyes darted around the narrow passageway, but found it to be completely empty besides him and Shizuo.

"_That's something for you to find out, Izaya. You're playing this game rather slowly. Dare I say that the great Izaya Orihara is disappointing me? I mean, come on. You're supposed to be the _smart_ one here."_

Izaya clenched his fists and spat through gritted teeth. "I want out of this game, you asshole."

"_Oh? Already tired of playing?"_

"It's not playing if you don't know the rules or the game."Izaya shot back.

"_But you do know the stakes, Izaya. Are you really willing to give yourself up right now? I don't have any objections to that, but don't you want to make it fun while it lasts? Or, you know, prolong the inevitable?"_ The voice asked pleadingly.

"Why should I?" Izaya said tiredly as he collapsed against the wall for support. "There's no point in playing a game when I know I won't win."

As soon as those words left his mouth, he knew something was wrong. There was no way he would turn down a game, much less quit one. It wasn't in his nature to do so. Something was affecting him, something strong. It would explain the random blanket of despair settling over him like a thick layer of second skin. Something within him was scratching at him, trying to desperately claw its way out of him at any given moment. He didn't want to give up yet, but his voice wasn't letting him. It was refusing to let him create a sound or any type of nonverbal disagreement.

"_If that is what you want, Izaya. Who am I to deny you what you oh so desperately want?"_

"The damn flea will play your fucking game."

Izaya's head snapped around to face the blond whose presence he had completely forgotten. The ex-bartender looked nonchalant, but he could see small traces of annoyance building up in his chocolate eyes.

"_This doesn't have anything to do with you, so why don't you go home feeling content that your enemy was finally taken care of?"_

Shizuo snorted and threw his cigarette to the ground, crushing it under his shoe. "I didn't say that I wanted to spare the louse's life. I just want to be the one that kills him."

"_Is that so? My, Izaya, don't you have interesting acquaintances~"_

"He's not my acquaintance!"

"_Then what is he, Izaya? I'm just _dying_ to know~"_

"He's…" Izaya stopped midsentence, unable to continue. There weren't any words he could use to describe who Shizuo was to him. He could easily label him as his enemy and be done with it, but even that title wasn't enough to satisfy him with its accuracy. He needed something stronger, a term that was much more suitable. Shizuo helped define a part of him that no one else had been able to. If it weren't for the blond, he would've been another boring human. It was the blond who constantly pushed Izaya to evolve everyday.

"_I'll take pity on you and give you a break, but just this once. You are under a lot of pressure, my precious. I wouldn't want you to get a gray hair from all this stress. So, here's your hint, Izaya."_

"_You've spoken to the one who knows of your beautifully hideous something before, and it is someone you are quite familiar with once you think about it. Let's resume the game, yes?"_

And then the strange presence was gone, notifying both Izaya and Shizuo of the unknown man's disappearance. For a moment, neither of them did anything. Shizuo still had that frown carved onto his face, and he was still trying to process what his opponent had told him. So someone familiar to him knew what his beautifully hideous thing was….

Izaya looked at Shizuo. "Shizu-chan, I-"

"I don't want to know jack about this game you're in, flea. It's probably your fault you're in it in the first place. Hell, you probably deserve every bit of it." The blond cut in with a grunt. "I won't kill you today, but if I see you again, I swear I will end you once and for all."

The ex-bartender lit another cigarette and began walking away, as if nothing ever happened in that alleyway. But just before the sea of pedestrians swallowed the other up, he glanced over his shoulder. "If you lose, I'll kill you."

Shock enveloped him like a glove, but Izaya quickly recovered enough to sing a reply, "You can't kill someone if they're dead, you dumb barbarian."

"I'll make it happen, possible or not." The ex-bartender promised before taking his leave.

Izaya stood in the alleyway for a few seconds longer before turning on his heel and heading further into the passageway. If his memory served him right, and it always did, he would appear on the other side of one of Ikebukuro's most populated streets. The familiar sign of Russia Sushi greeted him, and all he could think about was the taste of fatty tuna in his mouth. The game could wait a little longer, no matter the issues pestering him. He wasn't going to get anywhere by starving himself to death.

"You eat sushi, Izaya?" Simon boomed from in front of the little restaurant.

Izaya nodded as he crossed the street. "Yeah. It's been a while since I've last came, hasn't it?"

The dark skinned Russian nodded. "Da. You have not come to eat. Sushi is good, no?"

"It is good." Izaya agreed. "I really want to eat some fatty tuna."

"Fatty tuna? You eat that all the time. Eat new sushi. It's today's special." Simon replied with a broad smile.

Izaya shook his head. "No thanks, Simon. Maybe next time."

"Next time is good. Next time you eat new sushi, famous back in Russia." The strong Russian said cheerfully. "You go in now, yes?"

Izaya smiled at the other warily. "Fine. I'll see you around."

He strode past the other male purposely, ignoring the burning sensation of Simon's stare following his back. As polite as the Russian was, Izaya loathed him for being so damn perceptive. It was hard for anything to slip past the sushi lover, let alone for something involving _Izaya _to slip past him. It was probably due to his and Shizuo's spats that made the taller man more sensitive to his problems; another thing to blame the stupid protozoan for.

The inside of Russia Sushi was just as peaceful as usual, soft murmurs ceased the moment he entered and resumed after a beat of silence. However, the voices were more subdued, more cautious of the words spilling from between their lips. Although he received the majority of his information through his reliable contacts, it didn't hurt to hear even the most outlandish rumors from the average civilian. In the information business, turning a blind eye to any potential resource was crippling, if not devastating, to one's reputation.

Izaya approached the cashier, a nervous looking teen with several splotches of acne on his face. "H-hello," the black haired boy squeaked, "how may I help you?"

"I'll take an order of fatty tuna with a glass of water." He said firmly, in a no nonsense attitude.

The teen froze before he began tapping the buttons on the register. "That'll be 610 yen, sir."

He swiftly pulled out his debit card and swiped it through the scanner, taking a moment to push down the buttons for his rather complex password. There was a small fraction of a chance that someone would find out what his eight-digit passcode was, let alone remember the pattern his fingers danced on the keypad or possess enough pickpocketing skills to even steal his card from him to begin with.

"Thanks." He said smoothly as the chef quickly handed him his order and iced water. Both the cashier and the chef nodded uncomfortably before gesturing to a secluded booth in the back of the restaurant, the same eagerness reflected in their dark eyes. They wanted him away from them.

With a grin, Izaya made his way to the booth and sat down on the leather seat happily. Things were getting interesting for him, and there was no way in hell he was going to give up. He was Orihara Izaya after all, and Orihara Izaya was _no one's_ pawn to be controlled.

No. He was the one who did the controlling.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I'm sorry if Izaya seems OOC. He's difficult to put down on paper sometimes. *sweat drops* And if there are censored curse words anywhere, my bad. I try not to rewrite them until I get ready to upload the chapter. I apologize if the story is going at a slow pace, I'm kind of writing this as I go along and figuring out the plot. Please excuse mistakes in spelling and grammar as well, I did my best. **

**Anyways, thank you all for reading! I hope you all review as it inspires me to write more and puts this extremely stupid smile on my face. :D**


End file.
